WIIKWEMKOONG—The satellite communities of Wiikwemkoong, Buzwah, Rabbit Island, Kaboni and South Bay hold rotating traditional powwow gatherings, with each community taking turns holding their cultural celebrations on alternating years. Often in the past these have been held at powwow grounds cleared in their respective communities, but since the advent of COVID the celebrations have taken place at Nimkii Bineshii Kaning, aka Thunderbird Park in central Wiikwemkoong due to logistical challenges.
Master of ceremonies Adrian Trudeau provided a steady powwow banter while following the close direction of arena director Paul Takwadjiwan.
Head dancers for the Buzwah Powwow were Craig Fox and Gmewin Migwans, while Saturday’s youth dancers were Aubrey Shawagonobi and Shane Rivers.
Head veteran Ian Trudeau led the eagle staffs and flags into the arena to be posted to the song provided by host drum White Tail Cree.
Wiikwemkoong Tourism staff could be seen shepherding cruise line passengers from the visiting Pearl Mist through the powwow grounds as the final leg of a tour of a learning tour experience of the community.
“This has been an amazing experience,” said one passenger from South Carolina who spoke with The Expositor before boarding his bus back to the ship. He cited learning about the history of the residential schools system and other injustices committed upon Indigenous peoples as an “eye-opener that really touched my heart.”
The grounds were filled with dancers garbed mostly in traditional regalia, not as colourful as competition powwows, perhaps, but bearing deep meaning and cultural traditions. One exception to “traditional” regalia was an Anishinaabe-kwe who was wearing “warriors” regalia consisting of ancient bone breastplate, club and other items often associated with the men’s traditional regalia, matched with an incongruous washboard shield on one arm.
The dancer is a MMIWG2S+ survivor, once raped, beaten and trafficked, yet having, unlike so many other women suffering those experiences, she has survived and thrived. She explained that women were not only expected to maintain the household, but also to defend it. She dances, therefore, in honour of that warrior tradition.
Vendors plying traditional artisan work and crafts lined one side of the grounds, while plenty of food vendors could be found near the entrance gates—tacos and lemonade anyone?
There were many dance specials held during the powwow and children in regalia were evident everywhere, signalling the vibrant re-emergence of Anishinaabe culture and tradition. On Sunday, a memorial dance was held for Ambrose Recollet.
